Appreciate all of the great discussion. Which A/D filter are you all using (FIR1, FIR2, SHORT DELAY1, SHORT DELAY2) and any specific thoughts on this? Mine was defaulted to SHORT DELAY1 (which appears to be the factory default) which I have been using. Running mics directly XLR mic in w/48v.

Hi guys, I've read the thread, but there are so many and specific infos here, while I'd need a more basic and summarizing advice based on your experience and great knowledge.I have a decision to take about buying a piece of gear for foley and field recordings, I mean a recorder+mic kit to record both close-up sounds indoor (very little things like the sighs of a man, the sounds of his steps, of his clothes, etc.) but also the sound field outdoor (that for my needs doesn't mean capturing a particular bird far from me, but simply capturing the sounds around me at a good quality). For both purposes I finally narrowed my choices into just 4 options:a) Tascam DR-70D (Busman mod.) + AudioTechnica AT4053B (S/N 78dB);b) Tascam DR100mk3 (built in parallel mics, S/N 102dB);c) Tascam DR100mk3 (Busman mod.) + AudioTechnica AT4053B (S/N 78dB);d) Sony PCM D100 (built in 90-to-120° mics, S/N 98dB).What is, in your opinion the best choice for sound quality (that's my priority)?Sony D100 is so practical being an all-in-one solution, and declares a S/N ratio of about 100dB that's fantastic for my purpose. Probably the two tiny mics are not the best for classical piano music... but consider that I need it mainly for sound-effects recordings.On the other hand, Tascam DR100mk3 could be a great competitor: I don't know the spectrum quality of the built-in mics (and I've read here that are not great for "little" sounds), anyway it declares a S/N ratio even better than the Sony D100, and it has the 2 XLR preamps (that should become hi-end with Busman replacement) that makes this piece of gear perhaps more flexible.There is also the option of Tascam DR-70D + an AT4053B. I should suppose that this is the best sound quality option, but the S/N ratio of the mic is only 78dB...So actually here the questions are three:

1. Which is better for "little" sounds between Sony D100 and Tascam DR100mk3 (built-in mics)?

2. Which is the difference (for audio quality) between DR-70D and DR100mk3?

3. Which is the best option for sound quality (and for the needs described above) in your opinion?-Sony D100?-Tascam/Busman DR100mk3 with built-in mics?-The same DR100mk3 + AT4053?-Tascam/Busman DR-70D + AT4053?

I bought the D100 specifically so I could use it with the built in mics. If I wasn't interested in the built in mics, I would not have bought the D100 since the new Sound Devices MixPre-3 with -130dBV noise floor is superior.

If I wasn't interested in the built in mics, I would not have bought the D100 since the new Sound Devices MixPre-3 with -130dBV noise floor is superior.[...]In comparing those samples you will find the built in mics of the D100 to be superior, which is why I chose the D100.

Thank you so much for the clear answer! Now I know that best built-in mics are in Sony.Please, let me step further: for "tiny or little" sounds, is it better Sony Built-in mics, or MixPre-3 + AT4053B, or MixPre-3 + C414xls?Thanks

Thanks JCW for your reply. Yes, I've seen your post. Surely D100 is impressive and it can be considered affordable all-in-one.So my question is: is there any reason to go for a much more expensive option like MixPre-3 + a pricey mic? What does this option give me more than the D100? Noise floor? Sounds' definitions? And more specifically: a MixPre-3 + a AT4053B (that declares S/R 78dB and 16dB noise floor) give me a better floor than D100 with built-in mics?

I'm rather shocked no one else is joining us in this conversation; but for my own use, I would say that the MixPre3 adds value of the greater noise floor AND it has a physically longer levels meter. Personally, I wish the D100 had a display that would show me the entire waveform, not just levels. That's how I record on my iPad using an external adapter that has an onboard DAC. I use an app on the iPad called TwistedWave which shows the entire recorded waveform so I can see not only clipped portions of my recording "right now" but I can see other parts that may have clipped. (I record the output of a mixer board at church.) I find that waveform info useful so I can hand-adjust the recording level as needed much more intelligently. However, the MixPre3 is built superbly, such that you probably won't have much problem with clipping unless your recording level is just ridiculously high. At least, that is what I gathered by watching some promo videos on the MixPre series.

The other benefit to the MixPre3 would be your unlimited choice of external mics. But since I am not a mic expert, and since I intend to use my D100 mainly for live recordings that will replace my video camera's audio track (places where I don't always have the luxury of putting a fancy external mic near the performers), the D100 won my money over the MixPre3 for compactness and ease of setup. If ever I was convinced that I needed an external mic or a set of mics, I would of course want the best -- mics with XLR plugs. And the D100 is not a device into which you can directly connect XLR plugs, so the MixPre3 has a big advantage here.

So unless someone else in this thread can at least chime in with some helpfulness about why an expensive external mic or mic are really night-and-day better than the built-in mics of the D100, I would say you should consider the D100 to be a strong contender for your cash. Again, the sensitivity of these mics is simply shocking. I never would have thought it would recorder the hum of fluorescent lights overhead, especially with the recording level set only half-way! And the noise floor of the D100 is impressive. When I first tried the D100 in my room lit by fluorescents, I thought the hum was the noise floor of the D100, only later to move to another room and find the D100 recorded dead silence -- at the 100dB setting. I used my AKG K702 headphones with the D100's headphone jack set to level 5 -- which is impressively loud. I am able to listen during the recording and of course review all the previous recordings, and the headphone amp on the D100 is very good. (My normal headphone amp is a Headstage Arrow.)

I think no one is chiming in because this is the thread for the Tascam DR100MKIII. Talking extensively about the Sony D100 on this thread is confusing as I think we often skim looking for information based on the title of the thread. The best way to start a comparison of deck or comparison of internal VS external mics on a deck or decks would be to start a thread labeled that way. The topic of this thread is such that many with no interest in the Tascam DR100MKIII wouldn't look at the posts.

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